C Only in Legend (Closed with FolkMaster)

[Poppy]

"Yeah, I know." That's why he was hoping that whatever gel Anansi was using would work in the long run of things, but he supposed he'd actually have to get up and exercise some to get them to go away fully. Not that he was a model or showing off his body to anyone, although he knew he'd hate the marks personally and didn't really want a reminder of his time here if he could avoid it. Benji was missing a hot shower right now, real food that he loved and a comfortable bed to sleep in; despite only having another month, this seemed to be taking forever. He tried not to count the days but with nothing else to do other than walk around, sit, or sleep, it was difficult not to mark down every passing second of the day. Benji raked a finger across his gravid middle, frowning at the coating over his taut skin. It wasn't the best smelling thing either but at least it was working. Kind of.

"Not if I like... explode or somethin'," Benji slurred a little, his eyes falling half lidded as Anansi spread the gel over his heavy abdomen. It was almost a struggle to keep from falling asleep right there. A subtle moan escaped Benji's lips at the feeling of Anansi's hands. He eventually pursed his lips and adjusted himself to sit up a bit more, either hand supporting his belly as he moved. "All that's missing is a nice bed and a cheeseburger," he joked lightly, his head tipping to the side as he looked to relax a bit more.

[FolkMaster]

Anansi's grin grew wider as he watched Benji succumb to the belly rub. There were hardly any genuine feelings between them, but living alone for centuries at a time made Anansi value companionship whenever he could get it. He wasn't ignorant to the ways of affection, either, and it provided him a sort of satisfaction when he could express for someone else. Getting to eat a person while still alive also gave him equal satisfaction and was usually his first instinct. Hunger usually trumped mating ...at least, for an immortal spider god. His hands moved slower now, sweeping from the peak of Benji's swell up to the shelf where it jutted out from his ribs, down the wide flanks to his hips, and then under his low-hanging underbelly before returning to the stretched peak and that cute jutting navel.

He wasn't familiar with the type of cheese the human craved, but Anansi imagined he could do something about the bed situation. "If it's a soft, comfortable nest you desire, I can put one together for you." The creature chuckled and scratched the tight skin with his nails. "You should have said something sooner if you wanted a nest for sleeping."

[Poppy]

"So generous," Benji huffed, running both of his index fingers under his eyes lightly. "It'd be nice." Not that he expected for this nest to be anything to squeal over, but at least it'd be better than the corner of the underground cavern that he slept in most nights. A bed for another month or so seemed a little stupid as it'd be obsolete soon, but Benji knew he'd be regretting his decision to say no to this come those weeks from now and it wouldn't even make sense to gather the things for a bed then.

"You should let me go with you." He licked his lips, shifting a little so he could ready himself to stand. It took more effort than he'd like but he'd gotten good at hiding how out of breath he was afterwards. The pants he'd refused to take off his whole stay here were caked with dirt but still straining against his growing waistline. Well, at least he'd be able to fit into his shirt again eventually. "I can help pick out the things needed... I'd hate for you to come back with a bunch of scratchy stuff and I just complain." And he was telling the truth, because he would complain if it wasn't right and he'd prefer to get it right the first time around.

[FolkMaster]

Anansi hummed as he considered this. Letting the human out for some fresh air could be good. Anything that benefited mommy dearest benefited the eggs as well. Benji was slow these days, getting winded quickly, and in a general state of morbid discomfort. As far as Anansi was concerned, the chances of Benji trying to escape were slim-to-none. Even if he did try running, he wouldn't get very far before his bones protested too much. Benji also made a good point about gathering the right materials. The human quipped enough as it is about plenty of other things. They didn't need to add to the list.

"All right, you can come with me," the creature conceded. Anansi rose up onto his many legs and watched Benji get himself onto his own feet. He tried helping the pregnant human with standing before, but it just got him an annoying earful. Out in the tunnels, they did their usual long routes that included purposeful wrong turns and doubling back. Anansi crawled up the slope towards a trapdoor and pushed it open. Bright light flooded in through the sliver, making this the closest Benji was to freedom since getting dragged underground. The spider looked over his shoulder, regarding the human for a moment, but Benji seemed unusually calm. If he was excited about seeing the outside world again, he did a good job hiding it.

Anansi pushed the dirt door open the rest of the way, letting in a rush of clean air, and scuttled out onto the jungle floor. He took a moment to look around, checking for predators or anything else suspicious, and then he finally waved at Benji to join him.

[Poppy]

It was a surprise, actually, that Anansi had agreed to his proposition, but then again maybe he just didn't want to listen to Benji complaining all night about how bad of a bed had been made for someone - someone in his 'delicate' condition, as the deity had put it. It made Benji a little nervous at the thought of going outside. He should be excited but all he could think about was... his eyes or something burning when he finally was able to see the sun again. To be tucked away underground for three months had taken its toll on him in more ways than the obvious. He just hoped he wouldn't get too excited. Delicate or not, Benji had the feeling it'd be pretty easy to hurt himself how he was now if he got too exuberant.

As they trekked through the tunnels, Benji couldn't help but give an annoyed moan every few steps. "You can't take the short way for me?" By the time they'd found the trapdoor, he was out of breath, and focused on his breathing more than the light that filtered inside. When Anansi motioned for Benji to follow, he swallowed thickly and crawled out of the trapdoor next, struggling to pull himself and his new weight up before he settled on the damp ground. "Ah, fuck," he cursed bitterly, running a hand over his massive abdomen. "S'not my fault if I gotta take breaks." Despite being outside once more, Benji was starting to dread the hike through the jungle to gather resources. He just had to remind himself that it'd be worth it later that night.

"Okay," he started, standing again and supporting his gravid belly with either hand, "need something soft. Wherever something like that would be out here."

[FolkMaster]

"I hope you're ready to help me carry materials," Anansi warned. Benji was getting to be a big boy with that belly of his, and they might even have to take two trips before gathering enough plants and things for a proper nest. So, soft things. Soft things... Soft things... Soft things... No sticks, then. Nothing with spines or spikes. Vines would probably be too lumpy on his sore muscles.

Anansi started plucking large palm leaves off trees as they walked, which he figured were at least a good start. He found some soft, squishy moss growing at the base of a mahogany tree, so he started pulling it up out of the ground. He also found a couple large birds trapped in a web he weaved a few day ago. Normally, he used them as food for Benji, but now they would serve two purposes. He handed the palm leaves and moss over to the human before climbing the tall tree and pulling the birds down. "We'll use their feathers for nesting and you can eat the meat later," he said when he landed on the ground again. To his delight, they came across a patch of vanilla orchids. The flowers would be both soft and make the nest smell good.

When Anansi and Benji both had generous armfuls of nest materials, he started leading the way back to the trapdoor. They'd been out for a few hours and he could tell the human was getting tired. Before they reached the tunnels, however, Anansi froze when he heard voices in the distance. He recognized the Guarani language and knew it must be a hunting party from a nearby village. His dark eyes looked towards Benji while frantically trying to decide if they could make it to the trapdoor before being discovered.

[Poppy]

Gathering the resources needed for the bed had been more exhausting than Benji had expected. He didn't think they'd be collecting so much, but maybe it was a good idea that they had - surely the bed would be comfortable with all of the things they had gotten throughout the day. It didn't feel like hours but Benji was excited by the time they'd finally finished. Carrying everything that he could, he followed Anansi back to the trapdoor. He didn't particularly want to go back underground since he'd been outside for so long. It was refreshing to be able to feel the sun on his skin again. But at the same time, he really wanted to lay down, and it definitely wouldn't be a good idea to do that in the middle of the jungle where they were now. Sucking up the snarky comments he wanted to make on the way back to the underground tunnels, Benji instead paused when he heard the voices of... people? Yes, people, not animals. It sounded weird to his ears. They weren't speaking any language he knew of.

"Who're those people?" he queried, his eyes flicking in the general direction of where the voices were coming from. It'd either be a good thing or bad thing if he ran into other humans. Maybe they'd help him? At this point, though, Benji didn't think it'd be a good idea to leave with his condition anyways. If only they'd come in another month or so he might have made a run for it. As it was now, he wasn't running anywhere. That wasn't to mention he couldn't be sure of what tribe these people were. No one in their right mind would be out here as far as they were just adventuring. "Do we need to run or..?" He frowned. "Not that I can, really."

[FolkMaster]

Even though most of the tribes in the Amazon revered Anansi as the god who taught their ancestors about agriculture, there were some tribes who saw him more of a demon and hunted him for religious sport. When coming across a native out here in the jungle, he could never be sure who was who. If he was lucky, they'd fall on their knees and worship him. If unlucky, well, he'd have the sharp end of a few spears with which to contend. Then, of course, there was the issue of Benji. What to do with the lad? If these were the hostile villagers, there was the strong chance they might cannibalize Benji altogether for his... transgression with the beast. It was a hard call. "Drop everything and get up against that tree," Anansi ordered while also abandoning his armfuls of nesting stuffs. Once the human complied, Anansi pinned Benji's arms against the tree, slid out his mandibles, and spouted webbing all along pale forearms. With Benji secure, though exposed, the spider climbed his way up into the tree and out of sight.

The hunting party soon emerged from the thick brush and it was impossible for them not to notice the Caucasian stranger with a bloated belly stuck to a large mahogany. They all exchanged glances and confused mumbles, before cautiously approaching the young man.

[Poppy]

"You're just gonna leave me here as you scurry to safety?!" Benji exclaimed, watching as Anansi made his way up the tree after securing him against the base. He wasn't sure if this was a plan of some sort, or if it was just something that Anansi was able to use to his advantage; surely he wouldn't leave him here for these people, right? Not that Benji was too worried about them, although it was much different appearing to them how he was now compared to how he usually observed the local tribes. Was he supposed to ask for their help? They probably wouldn't understand him as it was, but he had a feeling that if he didn't say anything it might just make matters worse. Benji shifted a little where he sat, trying to get more comfortable - or as comfortable as he could get - when he noticed the group moving closer.

Benji frowned, his brows furrowing as he eyed the various bodies in front of him before he spoke. "Uh... help?" He didn't know if Anansi wanted him to talk to them or not, but if they weren't hostile maybe they could at least cut him free of the webbing that bound him to the tree. It might've been a last minute thing to do, being held to the tree, but Benji wasn't in any condition to stay sitting on the ground in the position he was in for long. He wiggled his fingers and struggled to turn his wrists. "Cut this?"

[FolkMaster]

It in fact not Anansi's plan to have Benji ask for help, but he wasn't in a position to haul the heavily pregnant human up into the tree with him. He watched closely from his hiding place, though, trying to figure out if these were hostiles or worshipers. As for the natives, they continued talking to each other while casting confused glances towards Benji. They had no idea what to make of this. Pale visitors to the jungle weren't completely foreign to them, but finding one half-naked and all alone was odd. Usually, they came around in groups wearing strange clothing and with a tan-skinned guide who spoke the tribe's language. Benji spoke, making them all pause for a few seconds, but they couldn't begin to understand what he said.

One of the men moved closer. He watched Benji turn his wrists in the strange thread. The head of a spear jabbed at the webbing, but not a single strand gave up its hold. A few more confused, yet increasingly concerned mumbles. The same man crouched down in front of Benji, tilting his head this way and that while getting a good look at him, and then pressed an open palm over Benji's very swollen belly.